Bivet-sorting machine



E. L. DUNN.

RTING MACHINE.-

LED

vn s o CATIO N SEPT.I9, 1919.

Patented Dec. 9,1919. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1'.

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E. L. DUNN. RIVET SOHTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I9. 1919- Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

" ll l llll E. L. DUNN. RIVET SORTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-19, 1913.

1,324,650 Patented Dec. 9,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- E. L. DUNN.

RWET SORTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19. I9I 9.

Patented 1360.9, 1919.

4 snssrs-sukn 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND LOUIS DUNN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRDT0 JAMES P. SALMON AND ONE-THIRD T0 EDMUND D. FITZPATRICK, BOTH OFPHILA- i DELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RIVET-SORTING MACHINE.

Application filed September 19, 1919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDMUND L. DUNN, a.citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvementsin Rivet-Sorting Machines. of which the following isa specification.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved sorting anddistributing machine for bolts or rivets which will quickly andaccurately sort and distribute rivets or bolts from a mixed lot.

Another object is to make my improved machine of a simple and durableconstruction.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be'describedhereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference bein had to theaccompanying drawings in whic Figure l is a top plan view of my improvedmachine,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my improved machine,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional plan view drawn on an enlarged scaleand show-- trated) which can be set under the lower end of said chute,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary topv plan view of a conveying wheel drawn on anenlarged scale and showing the shape of notches which are formed in itsedge for the purpose of receiving and holding the rivets during theconveying movement,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of a number of knock-off bracketswhich forms a art of my invention, and

Fig. 9 is a perspective View of one of the distributing chutes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented De... 9, 1919.

Serial No. 324,?41.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents a supporting structureillustrated in the -form of a frame and having a cylinder 11 securedthereon. A rotatable plate or wheel 12 is mounted directly above thecylinder 11 and is secured to an operating shaft 13; said shaft beingrotatable by any suitable means in the direction of the arrow. shown inFig. 1. A series of knock-off brackets 14 are secured by bolts 15-to thecylinder 11; said brackets being substantially inverted L-shape in crosssection. as clearly shown in Figs. 5, (5 and 8. The upper leg portions16 have their upper surfaces 17 arranged ubstantially in the form of ahelical curve with respect to the axes of the rotatable conveying wheel12 and cylinder 11. These brackets extend throughout practically theentire cireun'iferenee of the cylinder 11 and by being arrai'iged inhelical formation above mentioned, it will be noted that the first ofthe series will be arranged at a higher level than the last of theseries, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. To permit proper adjustment theseknock-off brackets are provided with slot 18 which extend substantiallyvertical, as shown in Figs. '5, 6 and 8, and the cylinder is providedwith slots 19 which extend in the direction of the circumference of thecylinder, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The bolts 15 pass through the slots 18 and 19 and a practical universaladjustment can thus be provided for the brackets 14. The wheel 12 is ofgreater diameter than the cylinder 11 and has notches or recesses 20 inits outer edge; said notches being adapted to receive the stems 21 ofthe rivets 22 as illustrated. The heads 23 are adapted to engage theupper surface of the wheel 12 so that during the rotation of the wheel12 the rivets will hang from. the wheel 12, as shown in Fig. 5. Therivets may be fed to the wheel 12 by means of a feed chute 24 or theymay be manually placed within the notches 20 at a place between the endsof the series of knock-off brackets 14.

A number of inclined distributing chutes 25 are secured, preferably bythe bolts 15, adjacent the'knock-off brackets 14. These chutes havebent-up flanges 26 at their opposite sides and are arrangedsubstantially the rivets within the confines of the chutev into whichthey'are intended to be delivered.

. The chutes 25 have tongues 27 projecting therefrom; said tongues beinglocated between the adjacent ends of the knock-off brackets as shown inFig. 8 so as to prevent any chance of a rivet falling between theknock-01f brackets during the operation of the machine.

As clearly shown in Fig. 4:, I preferably arrange the knock-off brackets14 so that the uppermost part of the surface 17 of one bracket, as shownat 28, is above the level of the lowermost part 29 of the surface 17 ofthe knock-off bracket which next succeeds it in the series in going fromthe lowest to the highest brackets of the series. Also the outer edges80 of the knock-off brackets 14 are closer to the outer surface of thecylinder 11 than are the axes of the rivets while suspended on the wheel12. This latter arrangement of parts forms a very important part of myinvention and in fact these features alone render my invention superiorto other devices for this purpose made prior to my invention for areason now to be described.

The rivets when fed to the wheel 12 are of.

various lengths, some short and some long.

It is the work of this machine to sort and distribute these rivets in'the receptacles so that each receptacle, after thesorti ng anddistributing have been accomplished, will have rivets therein of similarlengths. After the rivets are fed to the wheel 12 they are con veyed bythe wheel until their lower ends engage the upper surface 17 of abracket 14: which is of such height that it will not permit the rivet topass it without raising said rivet. As the wheel continues, for examplefrom the position of the rivet shown in full lines in Fig. 4, to theposition shown in dotand-dash lines in the same figure, the rivet willbe raised and since the edge portion 30 is located between the axis ofthe rivet and the portion of the rivet which is nearest the cylinder 11the rivet will be overbalanced and will tilt and fall into an adjacentdistributing chute 25. In other words, the knock-01f bracket engages therivet at a position to the side of center of gravity of the rivet andsince the inclined nature of the surface 17 causes a further movement ofthe wheel 12 to effect the lifting movement of the rivet by theknock-off bracket, the rivet will fall into its proper chute and slidedown into any suitable receptacle placed under' the chute for thepurpose of receiving the same.

The wheel 12 is made of sufficient-strength tosupport the rivets withoutin any manner flexing so that there is no possible chance of sagging orother deviation begage the knock-off brackets.

teeaeto tween the wheel 12 and the knock ofi brackets.

By positioning the ends 29 lower than the ends 28 as above described ifa rivet is of suliicient length to pass over an end 28 it cannot engagethe nearest knock-off bracket directly at its end 29, but must pass on ashort distance before it can strike said latter bracket. This prevents arivet, which for example just about passes apart'28 of one of thebrackets, from striking the adjacent end 29 of the next succeedingbracket and then falling back into the chute which is intendedtoflreceive the rivets from the preceding knock-off bracket. Thus theaccurate sorting and distribution of the rivets is insured.

By having the flanges 26 arranged substantially at a tangent as abovedescribed a centrifugal movement of the rivets'when falling into thechutes 25 is permitted with-v out possible chance of the rivets bouncingover the flanges from one chute into another and by thus arranging thedistributing chutes the wheel can be rotated at a comparatively highspeed without chance of improper distribution.

While I have described my improved machine particularly for sorting anddistributing rivets, it-will be noted that the same can be made to sortand distribute bolts or other elements which can be carried on the wheel12 and which have portions adapted to on- Also in the claims I have usedthe word rivets as a means of convenience for description, but it willbe understood that bolts or other articles can be used in lieu thereof.

iVhile l have described my invention as taking a particular form, itwill be understood that the various parts of my invention may be changedwithout departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limit 1such changes and alterations as fairlycome within the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A machine for sorting and distributingrivets including means for conveying the rivetsyand means havingportions located at various distances from said conveying means andadapted to lift and tilt said rivets and thereby cause them to fall fromsaid conveying means; substantially as described.

2. A machine for sorting and distributing rivets including means forconveying the rivets; and means having portions located at variousdistances from said conveying means and adapted to lift said rivets atpositions beyond their centers of gravity whereby the rivets will tiltand fall from said conveying means; substantially as described.

3. A machine for sorting and distributing rivets including conveyingmeans having notches in which the stems of rivets can be placed topermit the rivets to be suspended thereon by their heads; and meanshaving portions located at various distances from the conveying meansand adapted to be engaged and ridden upward upon by the lower ends ofthe rivets whereby the rivets will be raised and tilted so as to fallout of said notches of the conveying means; substanwill beraised andtilted so as to fall out of said notches of the conveying means;substantially as described.

5. A machine for sorting and distributing rivets including means forconveying the rivets; means having portions located at various distancesfrom said conveying means and adapted to lift and tilt said rivets andthereby cause them to fall from said conveying means; and distributingchutes adj acent said portions and adapted to respectively receive saidrivets as they fall after having been tilted by said portions;substantially as described.

6. A machine for sorting and distributing rivets including means forconveying the rivets; means having portions located at various distancesfrom said conveying means and adapted to lift and tilt said rivets andthereby cause them to fall from said conveying means; and distributingchutes adjacent said portions and adaptedto respectively receive saidrivets as they fall after having been tilted by said portions, saidchutes extending in a direction substantially similar to that of thedirection of movement imparted to said rivets, while falling, due tocentrifugal motion effected by movement of said conveying means;substantially as described. L

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDMUND LOUIS DUNN;

Witnesses:

ANNA BENTON, CHAs. E. Po'r'rs.

